Doin' Some Cookin'... Slow Cooker Apple Pie Steel-Cut Oatmeal

I'm slowly becoming a "not morning" person. I use to be an all-day person rising before the sun and now I terrify myself in the early morning hours, not because of the way I look, although, a couple more hours of beauty sleep may put me at super model status, but because of my desire for quiet and an extra two hours to acclimate to the day. Who am I becoming? My mother!!!... and I say that sincerely, love her lots!

This oatmeal is intended to be made the night before but if you are like me and prioritize movie marathons ahead of cooking, then make this right when you wake up, grab your coffee, lounge around all of Sunday morning, and have this for brunch instead.

This is sort of a two-fer, you get yummy breakfast and your place will be perfumed with the sweet scent of apples and cinnamon. Your kid will think you made apple pie and you get to crush that notion when they find out it's oatmeal. Sweet revenge, literally, for them talking your ear off about Pokemon which you know nothing about.

So... my internal body clock is off with my waking hours being outta whack and not conforming to society's norms regarding seasons as this recipe would be perfect for Fall and this is perfect for feeding the ghrelin monster in those first couple hours of waking. But, I've always been seasonally challenged and my waking hours are now closer to afternoon on the weekends... I also chop my hair off in the Winter and eat soup in the Summer. Rebel status.

No matter the season or time of day... make this!

Slow Cooker Apple Pie Steel-Cut Oatmeal

Adapted From: MyFitnessPal

Makes 5 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 1 cup steel cut oats
• 4 cups vanilla almond milk
• 2 granny smith apples (or whatever you have on hand), chopped into bite sized pieces
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• splash of lemon juice
• topping ideas, optional: peanut butter, chopped pecans, freshly chopped apples, brown sugar, spoonful of salted caramel sauce

And Action:

Add all of the ingredients into your slow cooker excluding the toppings, stir well. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Give it a good stir. Add toppings if desired. You can store the leftovers in the fridge for up to 1 week. To reheat, add a splash of almond milk and heat up in the microwave.

If you are pressed for time, throw the ingredients excluding the toppings in a pot over the stovetop for 7-10 minutes, stir, and add toppings if desired. Enjoy!